Paul Pogba's brother Mathias Pogba jailed due to extortion case

In a high-profile extortion case, a Paris court found France footballer Paul Pogba's brother guilty and sentenced him to three years in jail with two years suspended on Thursday. Instead of being imprisoned, Mathias Pogba will be allowed to complete his one-year sentence wearing an electronic bracelet.

Paul Pogba's brother was also fined 20,000 euros by the court for his involvement in the 2022 extortion attempt on Pogba, which involved pressuring the player, his family, and business associates to pay 13 million euros ($13.5 million).

Paul Pogba claimed in 2022 that an organised gang had threatened and extorted him and that his brother Mathias was the subject of an official inquiry. Paul Pogba, 31, informed the Paris prosecutor's office that he had paid 100,000 euros ($104,000) to a group of his friends who had extorted him in March 2022.

The suspected offenders in the case involving six persons connected to Paul Pogba included Pogba's brother and three of his childhood friends, shocking the French football community. In addition to being sentenced to up to eight years in jail, the five other defendants were also fined between 20,000 and 40,000 euros for their involvement in a criminal association, extortion, kidnapping, and imprisonment. 

Paul Pogba to join Manchester United

Despite not competing since early September 2023, Pogba's background is still undeniable. In addition to rumours of rejoining Manchester United, the World Cup winner has also been linked to a number of MLS teams and Ligue 1 team Marseille. 

Pogba must find a club before March 2025, when he will be able to resume his professional career, in order to start training and improving his fitness. He might be asked to return to the Red Devils' ranks, according to some reports. When he returns to the market, Paul Pogba has advised that new manager Ruben Amorim should sign him because he would be superior to any midfield player currently playing for Manchester United.